The most popular tradition in the U.S., without which the New Year just can not start, is a New Year's ball drop in Times Square in New York, when exactly one minute remains until midnight.
Thousands of people gather to see how the ball falls for one minute to completely fall exactly at midnight, when the old year goes by.
The tradition began in 1907, and is interrupted only during World War II. At the time the ball was made of iron and wood, the modern ball is made of crystal and has a diameter of six feet. It stands on a pole twenty-three meters high.
Various cities in the country have a version of the crystal ball. Just one minute before midnight, from high poles slowly descend animals, birds, peaches, acorns and even a giant ping pong ball.
The traditional meal on New Year is the coupled John - a dish of beans with a black eye in the middle. According to ancient belief, if you eat these beans on New Year's Eve, luck and success will be with you throughout the year.
When served with herbs, they symbolize coins and green herbs symbolize greenbacks. Sometimes spices are replaced with cabbage.
To have all the luck in the next year, one should eat three hundred and sixty-five Beans. If served with tomatoes, they symbolize wealth and health.
In the pot with beans, they throw a coin in and whomever finds it, will have the most luck next year. In Texas, they make bean puree and serve it with tortillas.
In California, the competition of roses takes place, which is accompanied by a parade. This parade precedes the football game, which takes place on the New Year. The first parade was held in 1886.
